Water Department Workers Strike; Judge Orders Them To Return

Employees of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department that serves four in 10 Michigan residents have gone on strike to protest plans to eliminate most of their jobs.

Monday morning, U.S. District Judge Sean Cox ordered them to return to their jobs, saying their walkout “will harm the safety of the public.”

It's the first full-fledged strike by city workers since the consent agreement with the state went into effect in April. The agreements cuts jobs, wages and benefits for most Detroit employees.

The union for 950 employees of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says its members went on strike about 10 a.m. Sunday, setting up a picket line at a wastewater treatment plant in southwest Detroit's Delray neighborhood.

Mayor Bing had no comment Sunday.